General True Crime Shows

[ForumLou]

13 hours ago, Pi237 said:

George was really odd. He had a hard time just answering yes or no to simple questions like-did you have anything to do with disposing of Caylee’s body? He yammered alot and said “I didn’t know where she was.”

My thoughts were that he was doing that purposefully for dramatic effect

[Annber03]

Watching the new episode of "Murder Under the Friday Night Lights" right now, and I already have one major question right off the bat...

Why the HELL did anyone allow that girl's mom to be the one to search and look inside that burned car, and be the one to discover her daughter in that state? Where the hell were the police? That poor, poor mother, I can't even begin to imagine. How incredibly horrifying. 

[Madding crowd]

On 1/9/2024 at 5:40 PM, Grumpbump said:

Latest episode of American Monster, "Success at any Cost", the storyteller is the older brother (Robert Jr) and he does not come across well at all.  I doubt that he ever really loved his brother or treated him with any basic kindness.  Not at all excusing what his brother (Richard) ultimately ended up doing, but clearly the kid had a lonely isolated childhood and an older brother who clearly disliked,resented, and was jealous of him.

I thought the same thing. When he was a child he didn’t seem to be doing anything out of the ordinary and his brother would accuse him of seeking attention. It doesn’t excuse what he did of course but his brother seemed to hate him even when he was a child.

[Annber03]

This "American Monster" episode that's on now is really incredibly sad. And infuriating. I want everyone who always goes, "Why doesn't she just leave?" in response to a woman dealing with an abusive situation to watch this episode. Barbara did leave, full stop. She moved on with her life. 

And look what she got for it. 

ETA: That 911 call was chilling, too. I can't imagine what it'd be like to be working a call like that, and having to listen to all of that. Horrifying. 

Edited January 15 by Annber03

[One Tough Cookie]

I find American Monster way too slow and plodding.  No matter what the case I get bored midway thru and have deleted it from my list.

[KittyMom4]

16 hours ago, One Tough Cookie said:

I find American Monster way too slow and plodding.  No matter what the case I get bored midway thru and have deleted it from my list.

Same.

Most times I have my true crime shows on as background noise while I'm doing my housecleaning. Last weekend I turned on ID to "Someone you thought you knew" and started picking up my living room. I hear a voice from the TV and thought "wow that sounds like a guy I work with" so I turned to look at the screen and there he is! Turns out it was a local case from 2003 that I vaguely remembered (husband had his wife killed - by her BROTHER) and my coworker is a retired Sheriff (who now works in the private sector) that worked the case. I asked him about the experience and he said he actually shot over 3 days in NYC, for Dateline or 20/20 (he couldn't remember). and he is talking to an off-screen male producer the whole time, yet when it aired, they edited it so it looked like the female anchor was actually interviewing him. 

The case was sad, thankfully the brother and the husband were both convicted.

[One Tough Cookie]

@KittyMom--reminds me of the time the woman in the office next to me was reading the paper about a man accused of poisoning his wife and she yells our "hey, that's my next door neighbor!"

[LuvMyShows]

Just learned that the Los Angeles Innocence Project is taking up the case of Scott Peterson's conviction for murdering his pregnant wife Laci and their unborn fetus. With all the evidence against him, I'm not sure how he could be innocent. I generally have a lot of faith and respect for the Innocence Project, but this has me shaken.

[andromeda331]

10 hours ago, LuvMyShows said:

Just learned that the Los Angeles Innocence Project is taking up the case of Scott Peterson's conviction for murdering his pregnant wife Laci and their unborn fetus. With all the evidence against him, I'm not sure how he could be innocent. I generally have a lot of faith and respect for the Innocence Project, but this has me shaken.

Me too. I don't know how they could think he's innocent. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

He's not.  The 'witnesses' that claim they can alibi him are mistaken, or lying to get into the limelight.   

One woman claims she saw Laci when she was watching a particular TV program, but it wasn't on the day Laci went missing.   

The theory that Laci was murdered by a group of people who killed another woman was wrong, they were proven to have been no where near the Peterson house.   Other witness statements were disproven too.  

The one who kept claiming Scott was innocent was his despicable mother.   The mother was a real piece of work too. 

Amber, the girlfriend, who said Scott wanted to marry her, and claimed his wife had died, told me everything I needed to know about his motives.  He wanted to keep his property, and didn't want to pay child support.  His half sister, or sister (I'm not sure what she was) wrote a book about him, and how she believed him guilty.        

Edited January 21 by CrazyInAlabama

[chick binewski]

5 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

His half sister, or sister (I'm not sure what she was) wrote a book about him, and how she believed him guilty.        

I think it was his half-sister who had been given up for adoption. I'm not sure how much time she spent getting to know her birth mother and Scott after meeting them as an adult, but some of the stories she told about Scott's demeanor after Laci disappeared are in line with everything we've heard over the past two decades. 

Scott's SIL is basically a yarn wall of Peterson's innocence. My personal theory is she is trying to absolve her husband of any wrongdoing since it was his ID Scott was using on his failed trip out of the country.

I'm also shocked the Innocence Project is taking this case. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

It's the L.A. Innocence Project, not the other Innocence Project. 

This article explains some of the LAIP taking the case:

https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/19/us/scott-peterson-los-angeles-innocence-project/index.html

Another article claims that with the advances in DNA testing, they want some samples tested again.  

 

Edited January 21 by CrazyInAlabama

[iMonrey]

I haven't seen a forum for American Nightmare on Netflix. Anyone else watch that? I don't remember it being featured on Dateline, but I do remember the case from all the news coverage it got at the time. However, I don't think I ever found out the kidnapping turned out to be true. I remember it being splashed all over the news that it was a big hoax and that Denise was a real life "Gone Girl" and that's the last I remember hearing about it. Her eventual exoneration wasn't nearly as widespread.

The fact that the investigators were never disciplined in any way (and one of them was even promoted) speaks to how clannish law enforcement is. Equally horrifying is the lack of follow-up on the co-conspirators, since Denise was adamant there was more than one perpetrator. 

[Pi237]

It really was the most bizarre kidnapping story I’ve ever heard. And I can see how her behavior afterwards would raise suspicions. I also don’t remember hearing much about it Not being a hoax after all. So, I’m glad they did this special to hear her full side of the story. Especially because her boyfriend’s behavior and her proof of life phone call were both so calm and flat, matter-of-fact. He didn’t appear panicked or anxious at all when interviewed before she was found. 
 

I can’t imagine how difficult it would be to pretend to be into your rapist, plus, knowing it was being filmed. But she did the right thing because he apparently grew an affection for her. If he hadn’t become offended that she wasn’t believed and basically told on himself, she’d still be doubted. 
 

I wanted to know more about ‘this wasn’t intended for you’ it was his ex that was supposed to be kidnapped. Why her specifically? Did they ever say? She must be thanking her guardian angel every day, although feeling some survivors guilt for what Denise went through. 
 

So bizarre. 

[iMonrey]

4 hours ago, Pi237 said:

I wanted to know more about ‘this wasn’t intended for you’ it was his ex that was supposed to be kidnapped. Why her specifically? Did they ever say? 

No, it was one of the big unanswered questions and the show deliberately refrained from speculating. It's possible the kidnapper/rapist had been developing an obsession with the ex-girlfriend and thought she was still living with Aaron when he broke in and took Denise instead. She apparently had only moved out three months earlier.

[kathyk2]

On 1/9/2024 at 6:40 PM, Grumpbump said:

Latest episode of American Monster, "Success at any Cost", the storyteller is the older brother (Robert Jr) and he does not come across well at all.  I doubt that he ever really loved his brother or treated him with any basic kindness.  Not at all excusing what his brother (Richard) ultimately ended up doing, but clearly the kid had a lonely isolated childhood and an older brother who clearly disliked,resented, and was jealous of him.

I thought Robert was jealous that his brother had a more privileged childhood than he did. He seemed happy that his brother struggled to pass the bar.

[kathyk2]

New episodes of Death by Fame and Playboy Murders debuted tonight.

[kathyk2]

New episodes of Evil Lives Here return on the 18th and Signs of a Psychopath return on the 25th.

[LuvMyShows]

I was watching an episode of TVOne's Fatal Attraction true crime show, and saw Steve Spingola from Cold Justice.  The episode featured a case that had been worked by the Chattanooga PD, but went cold. Then they were contacted by Cold Justice to see if they had any cases Cold Justice could help with, and they came in and helped solve it. The funny part was when they showed Spingola, the chryon underneath said he was the "host of Cold Justice". Wonder what Kelly Siegler would say about that?😉

[One Tough Cookie]

I recently watched the 4 part episode of the trial of Scott Peterson. I almost didn't want to watch it because I thought it would be a rehash of all the old news.  It caused me to think:  Was he guilty? HELL YEAH, but did he get a fair trial?  It left me wondering, there seemed to be a rush to judgement by Law Enforcement's refusal to seriously consider any other suspects.

Don't get me wrong, he's as guilty as hell.  But the last two episodes made me think his trial was stacked against fairness, if you know what I mean.  I think the Innocence Project shouldn't bother trying to exonerate him because he's guilty as sin, but it made me think again about the trial.  It was on Crime and Justice two weeks ago.

[chick binewski]

On 2/5/2024 at 5:26 PM, kathyk2 said:

New episodes of Evil Lives Here return on the 18th and Signs of a Psychopath return on the 25th.

I watched Evil Lives Here this weekend. I had seen Brook on Shattered and was a bit frustrated for her. According to reports during the trial, Lori spoke favorably of her ex-husband and expressed shock when she was told about the crimes. I would have liked to seen that addressed (as well as how Simmons was able to install tape recorders throughout his ex's residence or why Lori's other ex didn't go to the police after he took pictures of his children's injuries).

I had some issues with Lori by the time the episode was over.

Edited February 21 by chick binewski

[LuvMyShows]

There is one aspect of See No Evil that I've really been struck with, and that is the no-win task of trying to make looking at video footage into compelling TV. It always follows the same format:

"Bring up the tape to just before 11:10 pm."

"Where is he?"

"There he is!"

"Where is he going?"

"Wait, who is that?"

"Rewind and play that part again!"

"What is he doing?"

"Can you get a close-up on that?"

And then the narrator concludes, "The footage was too grainy to make out the license plate."

 

[chick binewski]

I need Evil Lives Here to give more background. I understand we're hearing the victim's POV, that Elishaba's communication was limited through most of her life and her family members may not want to discuss their own abuse on a television show. But we did not hear about Papa Pilgim's crimes outside of the family and I need to know more because apparently he was questioned about the death of his first wife - who happened to be former governor John Connally's daughter - when she died of a gunshot wound 2 months into their marriage. The FBI also reported Hale had broken into the home of Judith Exner (allegedly this may have been due to Hale's father trying to blackmail JFK for a defense contract).

I know it's the ID channel but like I said - I need a little bit more. Googling all night before work on Monday is exhausting.

[ButterQueen]

On 2/20/2024 at 10:01 PM, chick binewski said:

I watched Evil Lives Here this weekend. I had seen Brook on Shattered and was a bit frustrated for her. According to reports during the trial, Lori spoke favorably of her ex-husband and expressed shock when she was told about the crimes. I would have liked to seen that addressed (as well as how Simmons was able to install tape recorders throughout his ex's residence or why Lori's other ex didn't go to the police after he took pictures of his children's injuries).

I had some issues with Lori by the time the episode was over.

I agree.  Lori went back to the abusive husband even after seeing the photos of the abuse of her children.  There should have been no way for the abuser to install all of the recording equipment.  That was fishy.  She allowed her children to be abused.  I wanted to reach through the TV and smack her.  Also, she didn’t tell her nephew, who lived with her and helped with the kids, what the abuser did?  He made a bad choice obviously, but perhaps he would have avoided the abuser if he knew.  So many horrible decisions.  

[LuvMyShows]

Did anyone else watch the season premier of Cold Justice? I don't think they had near enough evidence to bring the case to court. I think the guy is guilty as sin, and there was a smattering of circumstantial evidence (like the credit cards), but everything else was basically motive and character.  When they gave the de-brief to the niece (?) at the end, they were using a lot of gobbledy-gook say-nothing words, because I think they were told they need to do a lot more.

[LuvMyShows]

On 2/28/2024 at 8:02 PM, LuvMyShows said:

Did anyone else watch the season premier of Cold Justice? I don't think they had near enough evidence to bring the case to court. 

Quoting myself because I watched the second episode of this season's Cold Justice, and again I don't think there's enough evidence. They arrested the guy, which is farther than the last episode got, but I seriously doubt it will go to trial. There's just not enough evidence of actual murder, circumstantial or otherwise. Again, he's almost assuredly guilty, and there's plenty to show anger issues and problems in the relationship, and opportunity, but not one thing related to the actual act of murder.

[Annber03]

Wow, tonight's "Evil Lives Here" was horrifyingly sad. 

[geekgirl921]

13 hours ago, Annber03 said:

Wow, tonight's "Evil Lives Here" was horrifyingly sad. 

Yes, it was very sad. It was also frustrating. He never seemed to refuse her, he just kept putting up with the demands!

[auntjess]

Got this in an email from ID.
https://www.instagram.com/InvestigationDiscovery/?lid=vob6c7112gms

It's about Quiet on the Set, about kids TV.
You don't have to be on Instagram to read it, I'm not.

 

[kathyk2]

Quiet on the Set was horrifying. I think Dan Schneider is worse than Bill Cosby because he enabled child abusers. A six year sentence for raping two children is too light.

[Minivanessa]

Last month I dropped TV from my Xfinity package, saving more than $100/month. I decided to do that after I got home from a 4 week trip, turned on the TV, scrolled through the entire cable onscreen guide - and didn't really find anything I wanted to watch. Yikes. (I kept internet and a cheap home phone deal; their internet has been great.)

I have great reception here for over the air channels, so I refreshed those channels on my TV. And I found that Oxygen is available over the air here, so I can get true crime shows OTA on that channel as well as True Crime Network which we've had OTA here for quite awhile. Just thought I'd mention that. 

Oxygen channel finder, to see if it's OTA near you: https://www.oxygen.com/channel-finder

True Crime Network: https://www.truecrimenetworktv.com/

Interesting that the logos for those channels look very similar. I assume they're part of the same corporate conglomerate.

For now, to get some cable channels, I'm subscribed to Philo. It's only $25 a month, no contract. It's by no means a substitute for a full fancy cable TV package, but it has some channels I actually watch. Including ID, Crime & Investigation, and several non true-crime networks. Yes, I do watch some of those too. 🤣

When it originally aired on ID, I just wasn't in the right head space to watch Let Us Prey. I recently watched it, I think on Max. I'm glad I watched it, and that I waited until I was in the right frame of mind. It was a lot to process, and I thought it was well-produced. 

I don't think I'm quite ready for Quiet on the Set. Not at the moment.

[kathyk2]

I'm enjoying Kill or be Killed on Oxygen. It's about alleged cases of self defense. I appreciate that the show features cases that I haven't seen on other programs.

[LuvMyShows]

I recently discovered a show on Court TV called "Someone They Knew", with Tamron Hall; there are two seasons, and I watch on the app.  She narrates, but doesn't actually interview like how Paula Zahn does. It has a mix of the familiar cases we've seen a million times, and some new ones. They had the Celeste Holmes Beard case (or as I think of it, the Tracy Tarleton case). And even though I've seen it a million times, it never gets old to see that blowhard defense lawyer Dick DeGuerin lose a case!

 

[One Tough Cookie]

23 hours ago, LuvMyShows said:

lowhard defense lawyer Dick DeGuerin lose a case!

He used to be a very effective DA in, I believe n Dallas.

Edited March 31 by One Tough Cookie

[kathyk2]

On 3/23/2024 at 11:28 PM, kathyk2 said:

I'm enjoying Kill or be Killed on Oxygen. It's about alleged cases of self defense. I appreciate that the show features cases that I haven't seen on other programs.

I think the case on tonight was featured on Fear thy Neighbor. I agreed with the jury. The trespassing sign combined with his texts sent a chill up my spine.

[kathyk2]

There will be a new episode of Quiet on the Set next Sunday.

[LuvMyShows]

Just watched the most recent episode of Cold Justice, "The Reporter". And while I do agree that the ex-boyfriend did it, there was not a scintilla of evidence. Maybe they were being overly optimistic in the presentation to the family at the end, when they said the DA's office is taking the case, because they did say something like there's one or two things that they have to button up before the case moves forward, and that there's no timeframe. Given how thorough a job they did during this time, I don't see how there could any more information to come to light that would make the case rise to be prosecutable, let alone beyond a reasonable doubt. 

[auntjess]

As surveillance cameras feature in so many of these shows, (don't use your victims card at Walmart), I'll share this article on security cameras here.)
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/federal-court-rules-security-cameras-can-monitor-your-home-for-68-days-without-notification/ar-BB1l5xmj?ocid=msedgntp&pc=ENTPSP&cvid=381014a4ddb34d2986ef020902f93057&ei=14

[kathyk2]

The new episode of Quiet on the Set is very good. It features new interview with the participants of the documentary and footage of an interview that Dan Schneider did on another network. I didn't recognize Dan he's lost so much weight.

[LuvMyShows]

On 4/1/2024 at 11:55 PM, LuvMyShows said:

Just watched the most recent episode of Cold Justice, "The Reporter". And while I do agree that the ex-boyfriend did it, there was not a scintilla of evidence. Maybe they were being overly optimistic in the presentation to the family at the end, when they said the DA's office is taking the case, because they did say something like there's one or two things that they have to button up before the case moves forward, and that there's no timeframe. 

Quoting myself because this week's episode also didn't appear that it will result in the case going forward. The wording this time was something like "We presented the case and are being encouraged to go on." But again, no evidence, just motive and suspicion. The case was heartbreaking, and I wonder if the daughter was just being polite when she said something like, "At least someone took another look, and that's good enough", or something like that. She could probably tell it likely won't  result in a court case, but still wanted to show appreciation of the effort. 

[kathyk2]

Tonight's episode of Kill or be Killed enraged me. The case was about a teen who killed his father. The DA wanted to charge with him with second degree murder even though his father took him from his mother and abused two wives. Thankfully charges were reduced and her served no jail time. The police and DA were so inflexible.

[LuvMyShows]

On 4/20/2024 at 11:24 PM, kathyk2 said:

Tonight's episode of Kill or be Killed enraged me. The case was about a teen who killed his father. The DA wanted to charge with him with second degree murder even though his father took him from his mother and abused two wives. Thankfully charges were reduced and her served no jail time. The police and DA were so inflexible.

I felt the same way, and was glad that they reduced the charges. However, what was disconcerting, was the thing at the very end about how he is in contact with neither his biological family (like the mom he found out was still alive!) or the stepmother's family (who are the ones who got him out on bail and also picked him up when he was released!). It's great that he's got a girlfriend (supposedly) and that her family likes him (supposedly), but he is incredibly flat in his affect while talking and has, I think, been permanently f*cked up by what his dad did to him, and then the process of what he went through after he murdered him. Also, I was curious why the stepmother didn't take him in when she left.

[LuvMyShows]

For the recent Cold Justice episodes:

• On "Bound and Gagged" it was absolutely heartbreaking that Derby was finally getting her life together when her sh*t of a husband killed her, and that she pretty much knew that it was going to happen when she tried to leave him. I hate that he got away with it for so long, and while I'm super glad he was arrested, I'm not sure it will ever end up going to trial...it just didn't seem like there was enough evidence to convict.
• On "Stabbed in the Heart", the minute they said in the very opening, that the son had come to surprise the dad for breakfast on the morning of the  graduation, I knew that the son was actually not slated to graduate and was guilty of killing his dad. We have seen time and time again that when a big lifestyle secret is about to be exposed, especially with education, that the secret-keeper will often murder to try to keep the secret. And what was up with the detective woman saying, regarding the fact that a window had been broken, "why would the son need to break the window when he had a key to the house?" I was thinking, "duh, to make it look like a break-in", and really wondered if that dialogue was just scripted for moving the plot along or if she was really that stupid. And then, speaking of stupid, of course it turns out that the window has been broken after the crime was committed, given that the glass was on top of the blood. Reminds me of the one where the glass had been broken from the inside to the outside, so all the glass was outside the house. In that one and this one, the perps were males in the 17-19 age group...not the brightest bulbs in the pack!

 

[kathyk2]

11 minutes ago, LuvMyShows said:

For the recent Cold Justice episodes:

• On "Bound and Gagged" it was absolutely heartbreaking that Derby was finally getting her life together when her sh*t of a husband killed her, and that she pretty much knew that it was going to happen when she tried to leave him. I hate that he got away with it for so long, and while I'm super glad he was arrested, I'm not sure it will ever end up going to trial...it just didn't seem like there was enough evidence to convict.
• On "Stabbed in the Heart", the minute they said in the very opening, that the son had come to surprise the dad for breakfast on the morning of the  graduation, I knew that the son was actually not slated to graduate and was guilty of killing his dad. We have seen time and time again that when a big lifestyle secret is about to be exposed, especially with education, that the secret-keeper will often murder to try to keep the secret. And what was up with the detective woman saying, regarding the fact that a window had been broken, "why would the son need to break the window when he had a key to the house?" I was thinking, "duh, to make it look like a break-in", and really wondered if that dialogue was just scripted for moving the plot along or if she was really that stupid. And then, speaking of stupid, of course it turns out that the window has been broken after the crime was committed, given that the glass was on top of the blood. Reminds me of the one where the glass had been broken from the inside to the outside, so all the glass was outside the house. In that one and this one, the perps were males in the 17-19 age group...not the brightest bulbs in the pack!

 

I think the son did it in Stabbed in the Heart but it will be impossible to prove. A good defense lawyer will question the witness' memories and why they didn't go to the police right after the murder.

[Annber03]

Holy shit, tonight's "Mean Girl Murders" episode. What an utterly horrifying story. Those poor boys. The images of that car... Jesus Christ. 

[Pi237]

She reminded me of Arianna Grande. 

I knew she’d be the cause because her classmates could barely hold their contempt in while talking about her.  I wonder what her home life was like because killing yourself and everyone else in a car crash (premeditated, yet) was so extreme. I guess you forget how strong emotions are at that age. Plus, she was a psychopath. 
 

[Annber03]

4 hours ago, Pi237 said:

She reminded me of Arianna Grande. 

I knew she’d be the cause because her classmates could barely hold their contempt in while talking about her.  I wonder what her home life was like because killing yourself and everyone else in a car crash (premeditated, yet) was so extreme. I guess you forget how strong emotions are at that age. Plus, she was a psychopath. 

Yeah, they talked about how she came from a pretty well-off home, and I kind of get the feeling it was a home where her parents weren't very involved in her life in any real way, other than giving her all the nice material things she wanted. She clearly seemed to have a lot deeper issues going on that I don't think a lot of people really were aware of, at least, not in the ways htey should've been. 

Regarding the Halloween costume she came up with, I could maybe, maybe justify her dressing up like that on her own - you've just survived this absolutely horrific crash and so it's like a really darkly funny way to cope with that near death experience, like you're laughing in the face of death itself. Gallows humor, and all that. 

But to do that when you're barely showing any emotion or grief over the two other people in your car who died, one of whom was your boyfriend, and then to post those photos online like it's nothing...yeah. That's cold. 

I also want to know what the hell kind of brand sees a post from a teenage girl who's laid up in the hospital, having just survived a deadly car crash, and is immediately like, "Hey, we should reach out to her to talk about promoting our stuff!" I wonder if they ever found out about what she'd done. 

Edited May 8 by Annber03

[kathyk2]

Oxygen has a new show starting on Sunday called Sins of the South. I hope they are new cases and not ones we've seen many times.

[LuvMyShows]

The Cold Justice retrospective episode was interesting. Most interesting parts:

• For every episode, they have approx. 100 hours (!) of film, which they whittle down to 43 minutes.
• When Kelly started out as a prosecutor, she lost her first 10 cases in a row.
• They showed Yolanda in some clips, but it would have been nice to have her on the show, as it would with Johnny Bonds as well. (They had Steve Spingola on, but he's kind of personality-less.)
• Kelly's husband talks really weird, like he has his jaw wired shut.

[chessiegal]

8 hours ago, LuvMyShows said:

For every episode, they have approx. 100 hours (!) of film, which they whittle down to 43 minutes

I got filmed at work for a documentary. They filmed me for several hours. I was on the show for about 5 seconds.